Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of NorwaySnorri Sturluson
History
Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway
Snorri Sturluson
Iceland -- History; Norway -- History; Sagas -- Translations into English; Scandinavia -- History
King Canute came to England the summer that King Ethelred died, and had
many battles with Ethelred's sons, in which the victory was sometimes
on one side, sometimes on the other. Then King Canute took Queen Emma in
marriage; and their children were Harald, Hardacanute, and Gunhild. King
Canute then made an agreement with King Edmund, that each of them should
have a half of England. In the same month Henry Strion murdered King
Edmund. King Canute then drove all Ethelred's sons out of England. So
says Sigvat:--
"Now all the sons of Ethelred
Were either fallen, or had fled:
Some slain by Canute,--some they say,
To save their lives had run away."
25. OLAF AND ETHELRED'S SONS.
King Ethelred's sons came to Rouen in Valland from England, to their
mother's brother, the same summer that King Olaf Haraldson came from
the west from his viking cruise, and they were all during the winter in
Normandy together. They made an agreement with each other that King Olaf
should have Northumberland, if they could succeed in taking England from
the Danes. Therefore about harvest, Olaf sent his foster-father Hrane to
England to collect men-at-arms; and Ethelred's sons sent tokens to their
friends and relations with him. King Olaf, besides, gave him much money
with him to attract people to them. Hrane was all winter in England, and
got promises from many powerful men of fidelity, as the people of the
country would rather have native kings over them; but the Danish power
had become so great in England, that all the people were brought under
their dominion.
26. BATTLE OF KING OLAF.
In spring (A.D. 1014) King Olaf and King Ethelred's sons set out
together to the west, and came to a place in England called Jungufurda,
where they landed with their army and moved forward against the castle.
Many men were there who had promised them their aid. They took the
castle; and killed many people. Now when King Canute's men heard of this
they assembled an army, and were soon in such force that Ethelred's sons
could not stand against it; and they saw no other way left but to return
to Rouen. Then King Olaf separated from them, and would not go back
to Valland, but sailed northwards along England, all the way to
Northumberland, where he put into a haven at a place called Valde;
and in a battle there with the townspeople and merchants he gained the
victory, and a great booty.
27. OLAF'S EXPEDITION TO NORWAY.
King Olaf left his long-ships there behind, but made ready two ships of
burden; and had with him 220 men in them, well-armed, and chosen people.
He sailed out to sea northwards in harvest, but encountered a tremendous
storm and they were in danger of being lost; but as they had a chosen
crew, and the king s luck with them, all went on well. So says Ottar:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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